Together Forever
by bcsbookworm
Summary: The summer after his friendship with Lily was destroyed, Severus runs from his house when his father goes too far and he gets help and a family from the one he thought he had lost forever.


**I do not own Harry Potter.**

**I am not abandoning the Sisterhood. This is just something that popped into my head and I had to write it down!**

Severus stared after Lily. Time felt as if it had stopped. He felt like someone had punched him in the stomach. She was gone. Gone. He had lost her. Possibly forever.

And it was all Potter's fault!

No. Severus sighed as he started back for the dungeons. It wasn't _entirely _Potter's fault. It had been his, Severus Snape's, choice to call Lily that awful word. No one _made _him do it.

Mudblood.

Severus shuddered at the thought of the word. He hated that word. He had sworn never to use it and yet he had. He stopped in front of the Vanishing Cabinet and stared at his reflection in the glass. Maybe Potter and Black were right. Maybe he was just another slimy, greasy, Slytherin git.

_Four more names to the list, _Severus thought sadly as his thoughts turned homeward. Now he had no one to turn to when his dad was angry. Now he would have to sit alone in the park, hidden in the bushes. Lily hadn't known _everything _that happened at Spinner's End but she had been a comfort during the summer holidays.

"Are you going to tell me the password?" Severus looked up at the portrait of Salazar Slytherin. He hadn't even noticed he had arrived.

"Sorry. Perfect Purebloods." The door swung open and Severus entered the common room. Avery came up to him.

"Where have you been?" He asked.

"Walking," Severus answered glumly.

"Listen, Snape," Avery said, "I can tell you're sore about that Mudblood. She's not worth your time. If she were, she wouldn't be Muggleborn or try to take you away from the noble Dark Arts."

"Yeah," Severus answered. "Maybe you're right."

"Of course I'm right!" Avery cried. "I'm pureblood after all." Severus gave a small smile and headed for his dorm room in hopes of a good night's sleep.

* * *

Severus climbed off the Hogwarts' Express and looked around for his mother. Seeing her he hurried to her side and they embraced tightly.

"How are you?" Eileen Snape asked him.

"Okay," Severus answered. "You?" Eileen shrugged.

"All right."

"Father hasn't..." Eileen sighed as an answer and Severus left it at that. They walked through the barrier to King's Cross and passed the Evans. Severus avoided looking over at Lily and his mother gave him a confused look.

"What was that all about?" she asked as they placed Severus' trunk into the back of the beat up stationwagon.

"I just made a really big mistake and Lily was at the brunt of it. I apologized but..." Severus shook his head. "I'm afraid she broke off our friendship. Rightly so."

"You want to tell me about ti?" And so Severus told his mother everything about that day when James Potter and Sirius Black had bullied him after OWLS and how he had called Lily a Mudblood.

"Well," Eileen said as she pulled into their driveway. "What I'd do it do things to gain her trust back. That is...if you want her friendship back."

"I suppose," Severus answered. "But with the way she blew me off, even refusing the Dark Mark wouldn't change her mind."

"I'd hope you wouldn't take the Dark Mark!" Eileen cried. "You aren't thinking about it are you, Severus? Severus?" But Severus had grabbed his luggage and was already making his way to the empty house.

* * *

For three weeks Severus spent most of his time alone. Whenever his father and mother began to fight he would sneak out and go to the park and hide until morning when he was sure it was safe to come home. He just never imagined how unsafe him "home" would become.

It was a night of a heavy summer storm so there was no way Severus could sneak to the park. He sat at his desk in his bedroom, doing Charms homework, trying to keep his mind off the yelling downstairs. He wished for the hundredth time that is wasn't raining so that he could go to the park.

_You could go to Lily's, _a small voice said in his head. Severus shook his head. When he and Lily had been friends she's sometimes bring him to her house for dinner. Now – he doubt she'd let him in – even if it was raining. Suddenly he heard a scream and a crash from downstairs. He stood up and went to his door, opening it and peering into the upstairs hallway.

Silence.

Not good.

_So not good_.

Severus crept into the hallway and to the top of the banister and peered down into the front hall. Nothing. Quietly Severus came down the stairs. Hearing movement in the kitchen he cautiously made his way towards the kitchen door and pushed it open a crack. There, lying in a pool of blood was Eileen Snape, his mother. She wasn't moving.

"Mum?" Severus called quietly. "Mum?" The door swung open and Severus fell into a heap on the floor. He stared at the dark shoes of his father and he couldn't help but tense.

"What are you looking at, boy?" Tobias Snape snarled.

"Wh-what's wrong with Mum?" Severus asked, his voice shaking.

"She tripped and fell," Tobias answered, going to sit at the table. "Get me a beer, boy." Severus scrambled to his feet and got a beer from the fridge and shoved it at Tobias before bending down next to his mother.

"Mum?" He called softly. Her eyes were closed and the blood came from her head. He reached for her wrist.

No pulse.

"She's dead!" Severus cried.

"Way to state the obvious!"

"You killed her!" Tobias stood, his eyes blazing fire.

"I did _not _kill her," the man growled, causing Severus to back up. "The corner of the table did. I just pushed her." Severus gulped and bolted for the door, only to be grabbed from behind by the hair.

"Where do you think you're going?" his father asked.

"Somewhere away from _you_!" Severus answered. The next moment he was thrown to the floor, and his father was upon him. Severus refused to cry out. He refused to give his father the satisfaction.

"I AM YOUR FATHER!" Tobias roared, the thunder almost drowning out his voice. "YOU WILL _NOT _TALK TO ME IN SUCH A WAY! YOU _WILL _RESPECT ME!" Severus attempted to back away. Tobias was finally off his rocker. Never before had one of his beating ever been so...so...ferocious. It seemed like forever but fifteen minutes later Tobias stopped and stared down at his son who was curled up on the floor, bleeding.

Not a tear in sight.

"You're pathetic," Tobias sneered. "A pathetic little freak. You're _never _going back to that school your mother sent you to. Never!" With one last kick to Severus' stomach, Tobias left the kitchen and collapsed on the couch.

Severus lay on the kitchen floor for a few more minutes before painfully pulling himself to his feet and hurried out the back door.

* * *

Sunlight brought Severus out of a cautious sleep. He groaned and opened his eyes. Morning. Great. He attempted to sit up but pain stopped him. Pain. Not so great. Suddenly the events of last night came back and Severus gasped. When Tobias noticed he was missing...he shuddered. His father may be a drunkard but he wasn't a complete idiot. He'd be after Severus. He had to get away.

Somehow.

Severus attempted to sit up again, causing him to cough. Blood entered his mouth and he spat it out. Suddenly the bushes were parted and he looked up in the fright, think that his father had found his hiding spot.

"Severus?" Severus stared up into the face of a woman. A woman he knew well.

"Mrs. Evans?" Severus asked, his voice raspy. He coughed up more blood and the woman reached forward. Severus flinched before inwardly cursing himself.

_You're pathetic, Severus!_ He thought as he let Mrs. Evans take hold of his arm and help him stand. When he was on his feet he noticed Mrs. Evans was dressed for a morning run. Mrs. Evans guided Severus away from the park and two streets over to a row of nice, pretty houses that showed the people had money. She led him to a brick house and at the door Severus stopped.

"I-I don't think--" he stammered.

"Severus," Mrs. Evans said gently, "I know that you and Lily aren't speaking to each other but you need help." With that she brought Severus into the house, which smelled like bacon and eggs. Severus hadn't smelt anything so good since Hogwarts.

"Hey, honey!" Mr. Evans called from the stove as they entered the kitchen. "How was your – oh my!" His eyes widened as Mrs. Evans set Severus in a chair at the kitchen table.

"John, get the first aid kit," Mrs. Evans ordered. "We'll patch him up as much as possible and then we'll take him to the clinic for anything else."

"No!" Severus cried. "You won't have to take me to the clinic! I'll be fine!"

"I'll call your house then," Mrs. Evans told him as Mr. Evans came back with a first aid kit. "Your mum must be worried _sick _about you!" Severus' eyes widened in fear.

"No!" He shouted. "No don't! Please don't!"

"Why not?" Mr. Evans asked as he began to clean Severus' face. Severus closed his eyes.

"She's – she's dead."

Silence.

Both adults stopped to look at each other as feet were heard on the staircase and a beautiful auburn haired girl appeared in the kitchen. She glanced at the boy at the table and Severus glanced at her before looking away.

"Severus?" Severus didn't answer as Lily hurried to his side, pushing her dad out of the way. "Sev, what happened to you?"

"Nothing," Severus muttered.

"Nothing my butt!" Lily snapped. "Sev, did your dad do this to you?" Severus looked at his lap and he heard Mr. Evans growl softly.

"Did he..." Mrs. Evans whispered. "Did he..."

"He didn't mean to!" Severus cried before gasping as Lily applied alcohol to his cuts. "He didn't!"

"Severus, he's dangerous!" Lily cried.

"Why do you care?" Severus shouted, standing even though it hurt. "You made it quite clear that you wouldn't forgive me!"

"Just because I haven't forgiven you yet doesn't mean I've stopped caring for you!" Lily cried. "Please, Severus! Sit down!" Severus shook his head as he backed up into the kitchen wall. "I'll write to Dumbledore! He'll take care of--"

"NO HE WON'T!" Severus yelled. "HE DOESN'T CARE ABOUT _SLYTHERINS_!"

"That's not true—"

"Then how come Potter and Black never get into trouble when they pranks us? I could have _died _third year, Lily Evans, and Dumbledore didn't give a d-- and only gave Black a week's detention!" Severus slid down the wall, his fists clenched at his sides. "No one cares about is Slytherins! Not McGonagall, Flitwik, Sprout, and definitely _not _Dumbledore!"

Severus looked up at Lily and found that she was crying. Severus felt wetness on his cheeks and knew that he was too. Lily bent down next to him.

"But _I _care," Lily murmured, her voice choking. "Please – Sev – let me...let _us_ help you!" Severus bowed his head and then he felt Lily's warm arms come around her neck and he rested his head on her shoulder.

"It's going to be all right, Severus," Mr. Evans said quietly. "We're going to take care of you."

* * *

The train gave a warning whistle and Lily turned to her parents, kissing each on the cheek. Severus stood beside her, looking at the train as if it were totally new to him. He felt someone touch his arm and he turned, finding Mrs. Evans smiling at him.

"You have a good school year, Severus," she told him. "And don't you worry about a thing! By this time next year you'll be ours." Severus nodded and couldn't help but grin as Lily linked arms with him.

"Come on, bro," Lily said with a laugh. "Let's see if we can find a compartment without running into the Mauraders."

"All right," Severus answered, following Lily onto the train. They found a compartment easily and got their trunks into the compartment racks and then opened the windows to the compartment and leaned out. Mr. and Mrs. Evans came up to them and smiled up at the two kids.

"You two be good this year," Mr. Evans warned. "The headmaster should know about our guardianship so if you have any trouble with those boys – what are their names – James and Sirius, you just write and we'll get it all straightened out."

"Thanks, John," Severus murmured with a smile. The train gave a final whistle and began to roll away. Severus and Lily sat down and Lily snuggled into Severus' side.

"Just imagine," she whispered. "You...me...brother and sister. Together forever." Severus smiled and put an arm around Lily.

"Yeah," he whispered, placing a kiss on her head. "Together forever."


End file.
